Hair curler



April 22, 195.2 s. sbLoP 2,593,929

HAIR CURLER Filed Sept. 28, 1949 T I. INVENTOR -55 SydQr Solop.

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR CURLER Sydcr Solop, Brackney, Pa.

Application September 28, 1949, Serial No. 118,231

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to hair curlers and has for its object to provide a curler which is more efficient in action, easier to use and cheaper to manufacture than prior hair curlers.

One requirement of a good hair curler is to make the curler easy to apply and remove. Usually, hair curlers are so constructed that it requires considerable practice or an expert to properly coil the hair around the curler mandrel. Then considerable care must be used to retain the curl tight on the mandrel while applying the curl retainer to the mandrel. Also, after the hair has set on the curler mandrel a sufiicient length of time to form the desired curl such prior hair curler retainers and mandrels are diilicult to release and separate so that the curled hair can be removed from the mandrel without misiorming the curl. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a quick'detachable connection between a curl retainer and the mandrel so it may be applied and released by the simple expedient of pressing the parts into position between the thumb and forefinger of the user.

Another object is to provide a hair curler comprising a mandrel and a hair retaining member pivotally connected to the mandrel in such a manner that when the mandrel is swung on the pivot into an open position, to thereby free its end, it is readily turnable so as to twist and form a strand of hair into a curl after which the free end or the mandrel is readily snapped into engagement with the retainer.

Still another object is to provide a hair curler formed with a special snap connection adapted to be released due to the resiliency of the mandrel retainer to which the said mandrel is pivoted A further object is to provide in a hair curler a novel mandrel and curl or hair retainer arrangement wherein the mandrel is formed with a hair receiving elongated slot extending from an end thereof and a handle portion positioned at the opposite end thereof, said mandrel being pivoted and embraced by a hair retainer, said pivot permitting it to swing from a snap latched position within the retainer to an open hair receiving curling position, said retainer being bowed and formed of yieldably resistant material with a latch keeper means formed in one end thereof cooperating with a latch means formed in the free end of the mandrel so as to snap into latched position and be sprung out of latched position by bending the bowed retainer.

The above and other objects and advantages 2 of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein three embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the present invention arranged to swing open into substantial alignment.

Fig. 2 is a side view partly in cross section and partly in elevation of the form illustrated in Fig. 1 showing the curler mandrel swung open in dotted lines and indicating the yieldable resilient bowed portion of the retainer.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary pulled apart view showing the cooperating latch members formed in the retainer and the end of the curler mandrel.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a second form of this invention showing the mandrel in solid line closed position and in a dotted line open position to receive a strand of hair for curling.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary pulled apart view of the respective latch cooperating ends of the mandrel and retainer members.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a third form of the invention with the mandreladapted to side swing into substantial alignment with the retainer member on a pivot at right angles with respect to the pivots of the above first two forms.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view partly in cross section of the respective latch cooperating ends of the mandrel and retainer members of form three.

Referring to the drawings in detail and first with particular reference to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is an. elongated curler mandrel Ill formed with an elongated hair receiving slot starting adjacent its pivoted end and extending throughout the remainder of its length. This slot serves to divide the mandrel into spaced apart arms H and I2 and the free ends of the arms are formed with latch means, such as the Venotches l3 and [4, respectively.

The opposite end of the mandrel [0 from the latch end is formed with an enlargement 15 at the base of the arms H and Ill. The enlargement I5 serves as a stop for the end convolution of a curl of hair wound around the mandrel [0. Due to the fact that the mandrel arms are tapered from this curl stop, the curl after it is formed around the mandrel may be very easily and emciently removed therefrom, when desired. On the opposite side of the stop 15 from the mandrel arms II and I2 is a centrally extending apertured lug l6 mounted on a hinge pintle pin l1 extending transversely through openings in a pair of spaced apart lugs 18 and I9 formed from a curl and mandrel retainer 20. The longitudinal axis of the lug I3 is axially alignable with the axis of the retainer 20 when the mandrel I is swung to open position.

The retainer 20 like mandrel I0 is preferably formed of synthetic plastic material, but may be of any normally rigid substance which is yieldably resilient to pressure. For example, the retainer is comprised of a bowed base 2| formed with the hinge lugs i3 and [9 at one end and an upright head member 22 formed from the base at substantially right angles thereto.

Both the hinge lug end and the head end of the base M are proportioned, positioned and arranged so as to cooperate with the stop l and the notched ends of the arms of the mandrel l0. For example, the stop is arranged to swing on the are of a circle slightly larger than the arc of curvature of the lugs l8 and I9, so that there is no interference from these lugs to the free swinging movement of the mandrel H) from closed to an open aligned or straight line position, see Fig. 2. The upright head member 22 is spaced from the pintle pin [1 of the bowed base 2| a shorter distance than the overall length of the mandrel l0. Thus, the ends of the arms II and 12 of the mandrel cam against the slanting upper inner edge 23 of the head 22 and cause the same to be moved, until the notches l3 and i4 snap over a transverse V-shaped rib or latch rib 24 formed across the head 22 below the slanting edge 23. This action serves to latch the curler into closed position.

Extending from the outside face of the head 22 is a knob or handle 24. This handle serves a dual purpose, namely, first to act as a latch release handle when pressed down to flex the bowed base 2! of the retainer to release the latched ends l3 and M from the latch member M and second to act as a finger grip to turn the mandrel it during the curling operation when the mandrel is open and in aligned position with the longitudinal axis of the retainer 20.

The second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 comprises a bowed base 33 formed with an upstanding apertured hinge lug 3| and an upstanding latch head 32 formed with upper and lower transverse keeper grooves 33 and 34. The upper groove 33 is connected at substantially right angles to a'pair of spaced guide channels 35 and 36.

In this second embodiment the mandrel 31 is made like a large hairpin with spaced apart arms 38 and 39 formed with aligned hinge pintle receiving openings. The arms straddle the lug 31 to align the lug opening with the openings in the arms to receive a pintle pin 40.

The tip ends of each of the arms 38 and 33 are formed with latch projections 4! and 42 slightly smaller than the channels 35 and 36 formed to receive and guide the projections into the keeper groove 33. The lower keeper groove or secondary groove 34 is only used when a tighter connection is desired between the retainer and mandrel.

The opposite end from the free swinging latch end of the mandrel 31 is closed beyond the pivot or pintle pin 43 by a bridge 43 formed on its outer span into a knob or handle 54, see Fig. 4. This handle like the handle 23 of the first embodiment serves the same dual purpose of latch release and mandrel rotation during hair curling.

In this second embodiment the mandrel rearward of the hinge pintle it is formed with arcuate surfaces 45, which cooperatively seat over similarly curved or arcuate edges 43 on each side of the bowed bases upstanding lug 31 when the mandrel 31 is swung to the open position shown in Fig. 4.

The third embodiment is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 and comprises a mandrel 50 similar in construction to the mandrel [0 of the first form except that the tip ends 5! and 52 of the mandrel arms 54 and 55 are wedge-shaped and the elongated space between the arms is positioned to face in a plane parallel above the retainer 53.

The retainer 56 of embodiment three is formed with a bowed base 51, an enlarged hinge end 58, and an upright pivot pin 59 with an enlarged annular base 63 formed integral with the end 53. The upper surface of the base 63 forms an annular land or bearing surface on which the lug SI of the mandrel 50 turns when swung to open position. Ahead of the lug 6| the mandrel 59 includes a stop member 62 similar to stop E5 of form one. The latch end of the retainer 53 includes an upright head 63 formed with transverse keeper grooves 64 and 65. These grooves receive the wedge-shaped ends 5! and 32 of the mandrel arms, see Fig. 6. When in this latched position the upright head 63 is pushed outward by the ends 5| and 52 and there is a reasonably tight frictional latching engagement within the keeper grooves 64 and 65. In order to facilitate the release of this latching engagement there is formed on the exterior surface of the head 63 a handle or knob 66. This knob as in both forms one and two serves the dual purpose for latch release and for mandrel turning during the curling operation.

Operation The operation of the foregoing described three forms of the present invention is broadly the same in each instance. For example, the latch connection in each form is released by fleXing the bowed base of the retainer, then swinging the mandrel open, inserting strands of hair to be curled between the mandrel arms, and then turning the entire assembly by means of the knob 24*, in Fig. 1, 44 in Fig. 4 or 63 in Fig. 6.

After the hair is thus coiled around the man drel it is swung back toward closed position, until the latch means on the ends of the mandrel arms connected with the latch means on the interior side of the retainer upright head. As usual the coiled hair is now left on the mandrel until it derstood that the present invention is not limited hereto except as defined by the claim appended hereto.

What I claim is:

A hair curler comprising a retainer and a mandrel pivoted and latchable together and so shaped and so proportioned as to be axially alignable in one relative position of the retainer and mandrel,

and in substantially parallel relation in latched position, said retainer including a bowed base bar having an upstanding head at one end with a transverse latch member and a pair of spaced apart curved lugs at the opposite end with aligned hinge pin openings, a hinge pin engaging the said openings, said mandrel being split to form spaced apart arms, said arms being shaped to interfit into latching engagement with said latch member on the bowed base head, a curl stop adjacent the hinge pin end of the mandrel, the pivot connection between the parts comprising an axially extended apertured lug between said curved lugs, said lug extending longitudinally from the curl stop, said lug being relatively longer than the radii of the said curved lugs, whereby the relative swinging of the parts from latched to unlatohed aligned position is permitted, and a combined latch release and mandrel turning knob formed integrally from the exterior of the bowed base head.

SYDOR SOLOP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,565,098 Nielsen Den. 8, 1925 2,281,291 Holden Apr. 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,823 Great Britain Apr. 18, 1893 24,926 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1904 4,792 Great Britain Mar. '7, 1894 544,269 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1942 6,987 Great Britain June 9, 1885 615,306 rance Jan. 5, 1927 

